BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – There was a major shakeup in Vermont’s cannabis industry this week after CeresMED, the state’s largest medical marijuana company, announced it’s merging with a Canadian-based company.

The deal with SLANG Worldwide is worth $25 million. The global company will have first dibs on Vermont’s tax and regulate market when sales begin in May 2022.

But the news has smaller, local growers concerned about the future of cannabis sales. Craft and small growers we spoke to say it’s just another hurdle for them to overcome.

“We know people don’t travel for Walmarts, they travel for Hill Farmsteads, they travel for craft products, so that’s who we want to make sure are included in the marketplace as soon as possible, now knowing these three large businesses will be included in the marketplace,” said Geoffrey Pizzutillo from the Vermont Growers Association.

Pizzutillo says he has been fighting for local producers since lawmakers established the tax and regulate cannabis market. But still, medical cannabis license holders get a five-month head start on retail sales. Advocates worry the date discrepancy is a structural inequity.

“Ultimately, I think that a lot of regular citizens just want to buy something legally. But people in Vermont — we take pride in our products. It’s a question for people in Vermont whether corporate cannabis is the first thing we want to do in that legal space,” said Eli Harrington, a cannabis consultant.